What is Astrology?

Did you know that the sky is divided into 12 parts known as the zodiac or constellations?

Did you know that the sign that you are, represents the position of the Sun at the moment of your birth?

This means that if you were born during the time that the Sun was moving through Virgo that you would say that "I'm a Virgo" when asked your sign. These are called, "Sun Signs"!  Each sign in the zodiac carries specific energies that are associated with the star constellations of that section.

So let's say that you are a Capricorn!  This means that the Sun, who represents the life force, vitality, basic personality traits, soul, and drives in life is influenced by the stars of Capricorn.  The influence of Capricorn is to be stable and practical while being structure and goal oriented.  So the Sun in this position will reflect these character traits into the personality of the individual.  The soul's purpose is to be driven to success, the person feels they have a strong desire to achieve, to build.

What most people are not aware of is that Astrology is much deeper and more complicated than this.  An Astrologer will cast a chart, like taking a picture of the heavens at that moment you entered this plane of existence and took your first breath.  Your individual mark, your map, your contract, your time, your blueprint.

There are many theories on how or why Astrology works.  Whether you believe that the planetary energies actually affect us, or whether you believe in the Hermetic theory, that what happens above, happens below in perfect synchronicity is really up to you.  The important thing is to learn enough about Astrology that you can find out for yourself and perhaps even come up with your own theory!!

Astrology not only takes into consideration the position of the Sun in the heavens, but also Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, the dwarf planets, asteroids and phases of the Moon, and this is just for starters!  There are also many theoretical positions that Astrologer's consider when working with a chart.  Such as the sign on the eastern horizon and it's degree of rise at the actual time of birth, commonly known as the Ascendant or rising sign.  This position marks the first house and the division of the heavens having each house represent an area of your life, such as money, family, health, etc.

Further, we take into account other things such as the nature of each planet.  Just as the Sun represents the basic personality, the Moon shows your inner nature, your emotions and your needs!  Each planet has it's own meaning similar to the way the signs represent qualities, however it is important to note that they are very separate in translation.  If the planet is the energy of "what" is happening, the sign is "how" it is happening and the houses represent the "where" in your life that these energies manifest!

If this isn't complicated enough, it is important to note that Astrology also has aspects!  An aspect is the geometric relationship between the position of the planets relative to the geocentric perspective from Earth.  We look at how happy a planet is in the person's chart!  We want to know whether or not it gets along with the other planets, does it receive happy looks from a beneficial planet or does a malefic planet hate it?  We want to know whether or not it's energy is stronger or weaker by it's placement.  There are many factors that go into the interpretation of charts, this isn't an easy task!

If you are starting to understand how this works, you will begin to realize just how unique and fascinating you are!  There will never be anyone just like you, this is proof that astrology makes everyone individualistic!  So please, if you haven't already, delete the idea that you are just like 1/12th of the population because it isn't true!!!!  Not even close!  Now, we can say that your Sun sign may have something in common with another of the same sign, we could also say the same thing about your Moon sign, or Jupiter sign!  We could also say the same about someone who has their Sun in alignment, or conjunction to Jupiter, with another person who has this aspect in their chart!  Is your birth Sun friends with a happy planet?  Or does it have Mars as an enemy?  All of these ideas contribute to the real interpretation of your Sun sign!

Astrology is a language consisting of symbols attached to meanings, or energies similar to the way that letters have sounds.  The heaven's masterpiece of cycles upon cycles of the planetary motions speak a universal language that humans have been translating for centuries!  The first horoscopes were found in Babylonia or Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) around the 3rd millennium BCE.  These traditions are the original techniques that in some ways we still practice today.  Talk about ancient knowledge, blend the traditional with the new age and you have modern astrology.